Selections: ZULI
In this series, Selections, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their Bandcamp collections. This week, ahead of the release of his ‘All Caps’ EP on UIQ, ZULI takes us on a trip through sublime sound design, experimental hip-hop and dizzying club sounds
In this series, Selections, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their Bandcamp collections. While hearing new music played out by your favourite selectors has been put on hold as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s never been easier, or more important, to support the artists and imprints releasing tracks, albums, EPs and comps in the midst of all the madness. In lieu of opportunities to discover new records on the dancefloor, Selections will give you the chance to nab sounds from the crates of tastemakers, and support the people behind them while you’re at it. Win-win, right?
This week, ahead of the release of his ‘All Caps’ EP on UIQ, ZULI takes us on a trip through sublime sound design, experimental hip-hop and dizzying club sounds featuring releases from Sote, Kutmah, FJAAK, Walton, Posh Isolation, Frog of Earth and more. Recorded in the months after his equipment was stolen, along with the year’s worth of new music stored on it, ‘All Caps’ is the sound of creativity erupting from frustration, and the Egyptian artist wastes no time in lighting the cathartic fuse. With six cuts spanning frenzied and experimental hardcore jungle, fracious rhythms and sizzling melodies, it marks some of ZULI’s strongest work to date.
‘All Caps’ will be released on 12th March. You can buy it here.
Dig into ZULI’s Selections below.
“I’ve made no secret of my obsession with last year’s ‘Parallaxes’ by Nebulo on one of my favourite record labels, Le Cabanon. This reinterpretation by Iranian musician and sound artist Sote does not disappoint; apparently its the result of Sote mixing elements from the record with those of one his own release called ‘Dastgaah’ which came out 15 years ago. Highly recommended!”
“Killer rhythms and sound collages by the legendary Kutmah on this vibey mixtape that I believe was made especially for Bandcamp Friday. The tape features tributes to two icons from my personal favourite era of hip-hop, DOOM and Dilla, both who are sadly not with us anymore.”
“Seagrave are always on the money, but this release in particular is rather special. ‘Meanwhile’ is the debut collaboration between The Fear Ratio's Mark Broom and James Ruskin under their Deadhand alias, and features 4 x world scratch champion DJ Prime Cuts (of The Scratch Perverts) and illbient rap legend Sensational. An Experimental hip-hop ting with remixes from the likes of Etch and REQ.”
“Corticyte + Art-E-Fax can only be a formula for success; when AYA tipped me on to this release I had no doubt it would be something special. It’s an eclectic four-tracker that covers a wide variety of moods, every single one of them its own universe. I'll be rinsing this one for a while.”
“In terms of club music, this hits the spot perfectly for me; rich, heavy and groovy with lots of space. The choice for remixes is also spot on; OGs Pinch and Cocktail Party Effect manage to maintain the essence of the original tracks while injecting their own sound. Another home run for Tectonic Recordings.”
“I sometimes get criticized for playing too much Walton in my DJ sets but if you’re familiar with his work, it’s easy to see why… And if you’ve experienced it on the dancefloor I doubt you’d feel the need to complain. What makes this record particularly special is his exercising his production skills to explore more ‘for-listening’ territories as well.”
“This one from last year is a compilation on the magical, Bristol-based Limbo Tapes imprint who release some of the most beautiful ambient music out there. This is the second in what seems to be a series of compilations featuring a wide array of the label’s artists and affiliates.”
“I love Posh Isolation. I think, for me, what I particularly connect with is their melodic side that isn’t afraid to be straight-forward and accessible while maintaining high quality experimental sound design and production. Frederik Valentin is someone who has clearly mastered that balance, which makes sense considering his musical CV, and is on full display here on this album and her sister 0011000. This one features vocalists Fine Glindvad, best known as the vocalist of the group Chinah, and the Copenhagen-based American vocalist Jeuru, a frequent collaborator of Valentin's, and member of the Posh Isolation family.”
“Irish label wherethetimegoes is one I am personally extremely excited about, and have been an avid supporter and fan of since early last year (as you can tell from my NTS show and recorded sets). Their eighth release is by a rather humble frog, from here on Earth, who takes us on a vivid journey through the woods, full of emotions, anxieties and life lessons.”
“I’m in awe of the sound design on this one and how well each sound is employed without getting too self-indulgent but rather serving the ‘greater good’ of the music as one unit. It’s dark, moody, cold and lonely; not too dissimilar to my home studio. The artist describes it as ‘a dungeon without a final monster’ and I agree. There’s also a bit of poetry in the album’s description page: ‘Before you became my healer, your name caged me as a red lava ring. Now knowing what distance is, I get up.’ Damn. I felt that.”
